Should You Wear Makeup on a Plane?

Whether you like it or not, air travel attire has gone casual—everything from comfy chic to a 7.5-foot scarf. So with flights filled with sweatshirts, leggings, and sneakers, it’s easy to wonder if it’s time to pare down your beauty routine, too—especially when time spent on a long-haul flight can lead to an unwanted breakout.

With this in mind, it boils down to one simple question: Should you wear makeup on a plane? The short answer: Maybe. The longer answer? Well, read on.

The Pros

Thanks to low cabin humidity levels (regularly below 20 percent), the biggest skin change you’ll notice during a flight is a lack of moisture, says Melissa Levin, M.D., director of clinical research in dermatology at Manhattan’s Marmur Medical. That’s where BB creams, oil or cream-based makeups, and moisturizing products come to the rescue. The right products quench your skin’s thirst—which is key, considering dry skin can become itchy, flaky, red, and lead to breakouts and flare-ups of skin conditions such as rosacea on flights over four hours or so.

Another benefit to a diligent in-flight beauty routine: SPF-infused primers, foundations, and lip balms protect against UV rays and infrared radiation, which are more damaging in-flight due to a higher altitude and thinner air, says Levin. Brands like Colorescience offer a slew of sun protection-meets-makeup products, from primers to enhancers.

The Cons

A dry environment and stress paired with occlusive makeup (hello, heavy foundation) can create the "perfect storm" for acne and breakouts, says Levin. Plus, certain foundations and powders (more on those later) can dry you out even more, resulting in flaky, dull, and gray-colored skin—and over time, wrinkles, she says.

“Makeup holds onto dirt and environmental exposures that can result in free radicals,” she says. “The creation of free radicals can result in collagen breakdown, leading to wrinkles and fine lines.”

The How-To

Levin recommends waiting until the plane’s descent before applying makeup. Not up for traveling bare-faced? Consider moisturizer and sunscreen (or a moisturizer with SPF) the first step of any in-flight makeup routine. This provides a healthy, well-protected skin barrier.

Then, tone down your usual look. “The issue with a full face of makeup and air travel is that what was polished and precise can end up smudged and sloppy after hours in the cabin,” says Audrey Slater, a Brooklyn-based stylist and former fashion director. Your style should be just as low maintenance as your makeup: Consider seasonless knits, like leggings and lightweight cashmere sweaters, which layer easily, don't wrinkle, and take up minimal space. (Extra tip: Dress in gray, says Slater: “It doesn’t show dirt and lint like black does, and goes with everything.”)

Fortunately, a natural, minimalist approach, is also what’s best for your skin.

Avoid ingredients like silicates (cement-like substances to fill in lines), cross polymers (used in products to seal in pigments), and synthetic film formers from your travel makeup bag. These are commonly found in long-lasting makeup and tend to ‘soak’ up water, says King. (A great feature if you want something waterproof; the opposite of what you need in dry cabin air.) Knocked out sideways for four hours? Your makeup won’t give you away.